 |
| French Quarter Architecture |
My husband and I enjoyed a recent vacation to New Orleans. There is so much to see and do there! We explored the city's unique history with an architectural tour of the
French Quarter and a fascinating tour of one of the city's old
cemeteries. We took a riverboat cruise, visited the Aquarium and the
National World War II Museum, and toured a nearby plantation.
 |
| St. Louis Cemetery |
|
|
|
|
 |
| Oak Alley Plantation |
But we both agreed that our favorite part was the multicultural ambiance and jazz heritage that we found everywhere.
 |
| Second Line on St. Anne Street |
|
 |
| Street musicians in Jackson Square | | |
|
|
|
|
|  |
| Battle of the Mardi Gras Indians in Congo Square | |
|
Of course, I never go on vacation without somehow making it a knitting vacation, so I
sought out a yarn shop and very easily found
The Quarter Stitch, just off Jackson Square.
 |
| Outside The Quarter Stitch |
And of course, I brought a knitting project with me. I wanted to design a cowl using 3 Irish Girls Springvale Worsted, which I just started carrying in
my online store. I swatched several stitches from one of my stitch dictionaries, but I wasn't satisfied. Finally, inspired by the jazz musicians that I saw on the streets, I decided to improvise. I played with a basic rhythm of knits and purls, bending and twisting until I arrived at something new and original.
 |
| Jazzy Cables Cowl |
The cable construction is a bit different - more of a twist than a true cable, it creates a totally reversible fabric, which was my goal at the outset. I'm excited about the technique I devised; it opens up possibilities for endless variation. Sort of jazzy, don't you think?
